FIRST TEACHERS DAY

Teacher’s Day!
Teachers Day is always special for me, and I remember most of my teachers from nursery to postgraduate and in fact all who taught me something in life. There are two people, whom I never miss to wish. Since 77 there was Mr Christopher Dass, my English teacher for class 11th & 12th from Lucknow Christian College. He was fond of writing and would write plays keeping me in mind as the lead role. We did several plays in those two years. His handwritten letters, which often ran into over twenty pages, are my most valuable collection. Plan to publish them as a book one day.The tragedy is that since last two years I am unable to contact him. He is in Lucknow, but i have lost his contact number and don’t know his address. Last I met saw him was in November last,when he came for my daughters wedding,by the time i finished the ceremony he had left,as he stays far and doesn’t drive at night.Am feeling miserable, not only because I am missing wishing him, but because I know, he will miss it more. My card and call on Teachers day, were something that keep reminding him, in his retired life that he was and is a loved teacher and he really takes pride in me.Dr R K Zargar,Zaggy,as we fondly call him, is the second. A friend, philosopher and guide and someone as close as a family member.
But celebration of Teachers day dates back to 70,when I celebrated it for the first time and was the first time, when it was ever celebrated in my school ,St Francis. I was in class five and our dear teacher was Mrs Olive D’Souza. (havnt tried to trave her now,She lived in Lawrence terrace,and her son was an year junior to me.On third September,I got the idea that we should give her a surprise.We were 32 in class,but only ten, including me, agreed to contribute. Kamal Khan, Anil Shipley, Pankaj Garg, Arvind Misra, Anil Pandey, Anil Pant, Amit Chatterjee, Mone Zaide and Shridhar Iyer were the others. We contributed two rupees each(a big amount ,when the maximum monthly pocket money was five rupees)and collected twenty rupees. I asked her, her favourite color and she told, she liked pink. We were in a fix, what pink gift we could buy in this low budget .Then I suggested a handbag. Same evening I went with my mom and sis to Aminabad to the purse and bag shop, opposite the main door of the Hanuman mandir (It is still there).Luckily I found a pink, decent sized purse with zip and all, with grey prints for twelve rupees.
We had eight rupees left, and with that we ordered 32 plates of snacks, a Samoa and a pastry each for princely price of 25 paisa , from our canteen man, Habib. We tried to show our magnanimity by catering for the rest of the class too, who had not contributed. During the break we asked her not to leave and surprised her with the flowers, wishes and the gift. The snacks were classroom delivered. She was so touched, her face is still in front of my eyes. She was almost in tears. She felt so proud and hugged each one of us (we didn’t tell her, who all had not contributed!)She rushed and called all the other teachers of the floor. Luckily five of us were absent so we could offer the other teachers snacks too. They felt good but we could see the envy in their eyes.
And then each year the celebrations increased, first to all students to class teachers and then slowly all subject teachers, then all teachers of school would visit all classes, and finally in 11th and 12th we organized central Teachers day celebrations at the college hall, with principle and all teachers ,variety entertainment and high Tea.
Miss all this now, but enjoy when I get cards, calls and smss from my students. Feels great to be a proud student and a proud teacher !!!
sanjay kapoor